A PROCESS:
- Writing is a
process.
- That is, it is not a
singular act.
- It is not merely placing
words on paper and submitting the product in whatever condition it
may be.
- It is not a last-minute,
casual, careless, half-hearted task.
- Some students call this
misconception the "one-and-done" or the
"get-it-over-with-as-fast-as-possible" approach to writing.
- Instead,
effective writing is a procedure with several steps
to follow before submitting a final polished product.
- Just as they accept that there are
processes in other educational fields
- mathematics, chemistry, biology,
music, photography, engineering,
- automotive repair, computer
programming, Web design, and culinary artistry
- Student-Writers must realize that
composition (effective writing communication) consists of steps as
well.
- By carefully and successfully
completing the objectives of each step in this process, writers can
construct a document that is clear, coherent, and relatively free of
errors.
- Along the way, they must plan and
organize before they write,
- and they must write multiple
drafts -- not only one.
- Thus, the submitted work
represents a culmination of hard work:
- careful consideration, planning,
reworking, and proofreading
- Writing is a
recursive process.
- This means that, as writers
move through the composition process, they will not necessarily
do so in a mono-directional way.
-
The writing
process is not a one-way street.
- Sometimes, writers will have
to repeat a step or a few steps or all of the steps as they
proceed toward an effective piece of composition.
- The phrase "3 steps
forward, 2 steps back" comes to mind.
- In life and in other courses,
sometimes we have to backtrack to get it correct.
- If we are in a career we
do not enjoy, we go back to school to major in one we would
prefer.
- If we didn't get the
reaction in the beaker we were supposed to, we go back
through the process and check our notes.
- If our soufflé falls or
our eggplant ratatouille is too sour, then we go back into
"Hell's Kitchen" and find our mistake.
- If our car doesn't stop
after we replace the brake pads, we break everything down
and start anew.
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Luzerne County
Community College makes this Web site available
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